Before I left Alaska in September I had a all-new Dexter straight
axle and new spring/hubs/brakes installed locally on my 1989 B17G
Bigfoot.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...xle-60915.html
I do not know for sure who manufactured the springs but the part number on my invoice, which is LTS 72-09, suggests they may be from Standens.
From day-one the trailer sat a little low on the left (passenger) side (about 1/4-inch) but I figured it would level out if I filled the fresh water tank on the right (driver) side. Even though I rarely tow with the water tank filled, I decided to not make an issue out of the small discrepancy.
But as I drove south to California I noticed the left side getting lower and lower and by the time I reached Southern California, there was over 1-1/2 inches difference from one side to the other! For the record I had very little loaded in the trailer (most of my stuff was in the back of my Tundra pick-up) and the water and holding tanks were all dry on each leg of the journey.
Upon arrival in California, I called the Dexter dealer in Anchorage where I had the work done, gave them some information/measurements, and sent them photos of both sides underneath. The agreed that the left spring failed and is losing its arc and agreed to ship me a new one under warranty, although I'll have to install it myself.
I'm grateful to them for standing behind the product with no hassles but I'm baffled that a brand new leaf spring could start failing from day one like this. Makes me a bit concerned about the quality of the components I put under this thing. The dealer says that although it's rare, he has seen new leaf springs fail before. I don't know how sincere that comment is but it does little to boost my confidence in the product itself.
Has anyone else ever seen or heard of a new trailer leaf failing so quickly?